Neural Regeneration Research, 2024 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.385280 · Published: September 22, 2023
Spinal cord organoids are three-dimensional tissues derived from stem cells that mimic the key characteristics of the spinal cord. Advancements in bioengineering have improved cell culture methods, leading to significant progress in spinal cord organoid technology. Current spinal cord organoids can simulate neural tube formation and exhibit diverse cytoarchitecture. Fused organoids with motor neurons show intricate neural circuits for functional assessment, making them valuable for disease modeling and drug screening. Spinal cord organoid technology is still in early stages and not widely used in translational medicine. Future development depends on good manufacturing practice standards, diverse cell phenotypes, and electrophysiological functionality evaluation.
Spinal cord organoids provide a valuable tool for investigating the molecular basis of specific pathologies using patient-derived iPSCs.
Organoids serve as experimentally tractable systems for drug screening and regenerative medicine, offering advantages over conventional animal models.
Spinal cord organoids and SCLTs have a promising future and could shed light on new avenues for the treatment of SCI.